Le Petit Haut Lafitte 2012
was created during the blending process of the Grand Vin Château Smith Haut Lafitte. The different lots of wines were treated with the same care as the lots that went into the Grand Vin. Therefore the winemaking techniques used were identical from the harvest to the vinification and ageing.
- Appellation Pessac-Leognan
- Grand Crus Classé Bordeaux
- Wine Enthusiast : 92/100
- James Suckling : 90-91/100
Yield: 32 hectolitres/hectare, before the selection of Château Smith Haut Lafitte and the 2 second wines: Les Hauts de Smith and Le Petit Haut Lafitte.
Blend: 55 % Cabernet Sauvignon 45% Merlot
Winemaking methods: The grapes were sorted twice, before and after de-stemming, to eliminate all unwanted elements (stem fragments for instance), and the grapes were not crushed prior to fermentation in vat.
Tannin and colour extraction were enhanced by punching down the cap and/or pumping over: pigeage and remontage.
Skin contact continued in each vat at 26-28°C for a variable period (from 4 to 6 weeks) from vat to vat determined by tasting.
Wine is aged in French oak barrels for approximately 14 months.
